sheer
1transparently thin; diaphanous, as some fabrics: sheer silk.
unmixed with anything else: We drilled a hundred feet through sheer rock.
unqualified; utter: sheer nonsense.
extending down or up very steeply; almost completely vertical: a sheer descent of rock.
British Obsolete. bright; shining.
clear; completely; clean: ran sheer into the thick of battle.
perpendicularly; vertically; down or up very steeply.
a thin, diaphanous material, as chiffon or voile.
Origin of sheer
1Other words for sheer
Opposites for sheer
Other words from sheer
- sheerly, adverb
- sheerness, noun
Words that may be confused with sheer
- shear, sheer
Other definitions for sheer (2 of 2)
to deviate from a course, as a ship; swerve.
to cause to sheer.
Shipbuilding. to give sheer to (a hull).
a deviation or divergence, as of a ship from its course; swerve.
Shipbuilding. the fore-and-aft upward curve of the hull of a vessel at the main deck or bulwarks.
Nautical. the position in which a ship at anchor is placed to keep it clear of the anchor.
Origin of sheer
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use sheer in a sentence
In the past, the sheer cost of purchasing full range solar energy units typically put them out the reach of millions across the continent—including some of those who need them the most.
A software provider for Africa’s “pay-as-you-go” solar industry has raised $13.5 million | Yomi Kazeem | October 27, 2020 | QuartzTheir sheer numbers showed a swelling commitment to the cause.
Brits are unwittingly pouring their savings into oil and tobacco companies | John Detrixhe | October 20, 2020 | QuartzAt times the sheer amount of sensory and contextual detail slows the pace of the book.
Yet even taking that approach, the fight against misinformation is daunting, given the sheer amount of it present on social media platforms.
Empathy is an underrated weapon in fighting vaccine skepticism | jakemeth | October 13, 2020 | FortuneSet in a prison, it was notable for the sheer quantity of full frontal male nudity, with characters shown in a variety of contexts, including showering and in their cells, fully naked.
More Penises Are Appearing On TV And In Film – But Why Are Nearly All Of Them Prosthetic? | LGBTQ-Editor | October 10, 2020 | No Straight News
Well, here she comes, and we said she was going to try and shave us; but she didn't seem to be sheering off a bit.
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Complete | Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)Whatever it was, our ship gave it a wide berth, sheering off from the object in a sharp swing.
The Glory of The Coming | Irvin S. CobbThe axe descended, sheering his haunches across, and he stretched out, working his great jaws convulsively.
The Backwoodsmen | Charles G. D. RobertsThe fire had been hid by sheering towards the shore, and the latter was nearer, perhaps, than was desirable.
The Deerslayer | James Fenimore CooperPeeping out, he saw the Lancaster and the Cumberland sheering to port, and he moved the lever of the steering-telegraph.
"Where Angels Fear to Tread" and Other Stories of the Sea | Morgan Robertson
British Dictionary definitions for sheer (1 of 2)
/ (ʃɪə) /
perpendicular; very steep: a sheer cliff
(of textiles) so fine as to be transparent
(prenominal) absolute; unmitigated: sheer folly
obsolete bright or shining
steeply or perpendicularly
completely or absolutely
any transparent fabric used for making garments
Origin of sheer
1Derived forms of sheer
- sheerly, adverb
- sheerness, noun
British Dictionary definitions for sheer (2 of 2)
/ (ʃɪə) /
to deviate or cause to deviate from a course
(intr) to avoid an unpleasant person, thing, topic, etc
the upward sweep of the deck or bulwarks of a vessel
nautical the position of a vessel relative to its mooring
Origin of sheer
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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